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April 2005 |
Stewardship through storytelling featured in Giving magazine
By Alison Bartels
INDIANAPOLIS - The Ecumenical Stewardship Center recently released its seventh annual edition of Giving: Growing Joyful Stewards in Your Congregation," a magazine to encourage and foster stewardship in the church.
This year's publication, "Generations of Generosity," draws from Psalm 145:4 - "One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts." The magazine features articles focusing on the dynamic sense of stewardship that moves across age groups.
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"Generations of Generosity" emphasizes the importance of storytelling across generations in the church. |
Executive Director Ed Taylor explains, "Contributors to this magazine speak of a generosity that has its source in God and is shared, not just from one generation to another but among generations. Children inspire adults. Youth teach their mentors. Older adults establish dialogue with younger men and women."
"Generations of Generosity" emphasizes the importance of storytelling across generations in the life of the church.
"The connection between storytelling and stewardship is the foundation for 'Generations of Generosity,' a giving emphasis that provides people with opportunities to 'laud God's works to another' by telling their stories and listening to others tell theirs," states this edition's resource insert.
This edition includes all the elements needed for a local church stewardship campaign including:
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Guidelines for creating storytelling groups, or "Conversation Groups,"
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A Litany for Commissioning the Budget (or Finance) Committee,
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Worship ideas,
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A planning schedule,
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Guidelines for establishing a Storytelling Budget (a plan that illustrates the effects of church-supported ministries in individual lives), and a
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Sample Storytelling budget.
Accompanying "Generations of Generosity" theme materials, such as posters, bulletin covers, bulletin inserts, letterhead, Bible bookmarks, envelopes and commitment cards are also available through Cokesbury (www.cokesbury.com), United Methodists' online bookstore, or through the Ecumenical Stewardship Center.
An article by Michael Meier catalogues a series of stewardship stories from individuals throughout North America. Meier challenges congregations to research and report the stories of varying generations, seeking to understand and learn from the diverse expressions of generosity.
Another article offers creative ways to teach the next generation - children - the value of stewardship and give them opportunities to practice generosity.
A third article addresses the responsibility of Christians in responding to the pressures of the media. "Spiritual Practices to Counter Consumerism," written by Teresa Blythe, suggests that the way to interact with a culture entrenched in consumerism is by applying spiritual discernment, tithing and supporting efforts to reform the media. A small group study that goes through some practical steps in exposing the lies of the media and embracing the truth of Godly stewardship accompanies her article.
Giving, $7 a copy plus 20 percent for shipping and handling, also includes several book reviews, Web site addresses and descriptions of other Christian resources. Giving is published by the Ecumenical Stewardship Center, a shared ministry of 24 denominations in Canada and the United Sates, based in Indianapolis.
For more information, log on to www.stewardshipresources.org, call 800-835-5671 or write to Ecumenical Stewardship Center, 1100 W. 42nd St., Suite 225, Indianapolis IN 46208.
Alison Bartels, a student of Butler University, serves the Indiana Area Communications as a winter intern.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008